Let me start by saying that I had an absolutely fantastic time at The Hobbit Worldwide Fan Event in New York City! I have so much I want to talk about, so hopefully I can get it all out without forgetting anything.

I got to the theater around 10:30 a.m. thinking I would be the first one there, but I was wrong! There was already a small group of people in line. This enthusiastic group had been waiting in line for hours before I even arrived! Now THAT is dedication. It wasn’t a nice warm sunny day either; it was cold and windy, but the fans stuck it out with smiles on their faces!

Everywhere I looked there were fans all anxiously waiting to get inside the cinema to see the special presentation. I stayed in line for hours and had a blast. There’s nothing like talking about the things you love the most with people who share the same feelings. Many laughs were exchanged and even some goodies! Fan, Deejay, came prepared with a bag of buttons and rings for the folks in line, and I snagged myself a Nori ring. Thanks again, Deejay!

Have I mentioned the amazing cosplays yet? Well I saw some excellent costumes. There were some dwarves, elves, a hobbit here and there, and a wizard. You may recognize this Bofur (cosplayed by Briana) from The Hobbit photo shoot which was covered by Middle-earth News reporter, Lily, a short while ago. And, the talented photographer responsible for many of the photos in Lily’s article is none other than, Kili! Um, I mean, Gwendolyn! It was great meeting these two women… they make dashing dwarves, don’t they? You can view many other photos on Middle-earth News’ Instagram.

I left the line to go pick up my ticket at Will Call an hour before doors opened and waited around restlessly to get into the cinema. When it was finally time, I made my way over to where the event was going to be held and was pleasantly surprised to see complimentary popcorn, refreshments, AND t-shirts. I quickly ran over to claim my free shirt and settled back in line waiting for the doors to open. I saw Anderson Cooper and Orlando Bloom walk by me and was extremely star struck. I just kept thinking “I’m going to be in the same room as Legolas and Thorin!”

I was seated in the center near the middle of the cinema, and the place filled up quickly. We didn’t have much time until the event was supposed to start, so I was kind of jumping up and down in my seat in anticipation. When I turned around I was frozen in my place because who did I see not too far from me? Anderson Cooper, Richard Armitage, and Orlando Bloom! I had a freak out moment, I can admit that. I couldn’t believe they were right there! The trailer for The Desolation of Smaug was shown multiple times while everyone was getting situated. Along with the trailer were trivia questions based on The Hobbit up on the screen, as well as tweets from fans shown on the bottom.

It was soon time for the worldwide fan event to begin and I couldn’t wait! Anderson Cooper was the first to walk up, then it was Orlando and Richard’s turn. That’s when the show began. I loudly cheered along with everyone else when each of the host cities were introduced. I was happy to see Peter Jackson with no shoes! It brought back a lot of memories from when The Lord of the Rings was being filmed. All of the cast members seemed genuinely kind and hilarious, there was never a dull moment.

One of the first things we saw was the latest production video (which I loved). It’s always cool to see Lee Pace acting a little goofy while dressed as Thranduil, and we got to see some cool sword action from Aidan Turner! I had a good laugh when James Nesbitt told one of the crew members to not look him directly in the eyes because I remember him saying the same thing in a past production video. Also, I should bring up the plane watching–let’s not forget the crew!

The next part of the fan event was the Q&A, and I enjoyed all of the questions. Our hearts swelled up when Orlando recalled how he tried on his old Legolas costume to see if it would still fit. And can we talk about how Orlando refers to his character as “Leggy”? I smiled a huge goofy grin whenever he said that nickname. I want to make sure I mention one question in particular. Welly-moot Tolkien Society founder, Jack Machiela, asked Peter Jackson about something that’s been on my mind for years… the bloopers from the LOTR trilogy! Come on, Peter. It’s okay if the audio and video quality aren’t the best; we don’t mind!

One of my favorite moments was when someone mentioned how great it was that PJ was having this fan event. This is what is so amazing about the Tolkien community. There are many, many fans from all around the world, and this event gave us the chance to connect with each other. It truly is amazing. I’m really happy fans have been given this chance.

After the Q&A, we were shown one of the extended scenes from An Unexpected Journey of the dwarves in Rivendell. It centered around Bofur and him singing The Man in the Moon, while the dwarves were being well… dwarves. You know, having fun, singing, playing music, and throwing food! Poor Lindir seemed rather flummoxed, wouldn’t you say? The fan event can be viewed via Warner Brother’s Youtube channel.

After all the hosts and cast members said goodbye, those in the theaters were given a special treat by Peter Jackson. We were shown the closing song and 20 minutes of footage from The Desolation of Smaug. This is the part where SPOILERS come in. I will try to not delve too much into what I saw, but if you want to stay completely spoil-free, turn away now!

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Turn back now if you don’t want to get spoiled!

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LAST CHANCE

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The credits song is called “I See Fire” and is performed by English artist, Ed Sheeran, and I think it’s a fantastic song. It’s available to purchase on iTunes now, and Peter Jackson posted the video of it on his YouTube, so go take a listen! (I should also add that the music shown during the 20 minute footage is all original The Hobbit music.)

Flies and Spiders

Now, onto the footage. The first scene we saw was from “Flies and Spiders,” and if you aren’t a spider fan, then you may have a hard time watching it. I was surprised that I was able to watch without turning away in fear. Just like the book, there are a lot of giant spiders. Granted, they’re not as big as Shelob, but they’re still pretty big. In the book, the spiders talk, but in the movie we only hear them speak once Bilbo is wearing the Ring. When Bilbo named Sting, the entire audience cheered! I was happy to see Bilbo getting his moment to shine during this scene.

Thranduil and the Orc

What we saw next involves Thranduil, Legolas, Tauriel, and a captured orc. The elves are shown interrogating the orc, asking why he was after the Company and Thorin Oakenshield. When the orc refuses to talk, Tauriel jumps into action and goes towards him for the kill. Thranduil ends up stopping her and telling her to leave. He then turns to the orc telling him that he would be released if he gave him the information he wanted. What I thought was interesting was that the orc says: “My master serves The One.” Connection to Sauron perhaps?

Everyone around me seemed to hold their breath when that line was spoken; we all knew who “The One” was. The shot goes to Thranduil’s face, and it’s evident he understands who the orc is talking about. Thranduil makes a quick motion and decapitates the orc, leaving a confused Legolas. He asks his father why he killed the orc if he promised let him go free. Thranduil assures him he did, “I freed him from this world.” (I was frantically writing down notes so I apologize if the dialogue isn’t 100% correct)

Barrels Out of Bonds

The next scene we were shown is probably one of the most anticipated scenes of the film–the barrel riding! It starts out with Bilbo freeing the dwarves from their cells (I wanted to cheer from my seat “GO BILBO!”). Afterwards, he leads them to the cellar where we see drunk elves (!!!) passed out on the table. It takes some time before Bilbo finally convinces the dwarves to each get into a barrel.

As soon as they are all tucked away safely, Bilbo pulls on a lever which causes the floor to open up into the water. The dwarves roll out, and as the door closes back, our burglar finds himself left behind. He is forced to think quickly on his feet as Tauriel and a group of guards are close to the cellar after finding that the dwarves have escaped. He tries, with no luck, to open up the floor door but eventually succeeds when his weight causes the door to slowly open. He slides down and the dwarves are still underneath waiting for him.

Ruins of Dale

Quiet squeals were heard when the next scene started to play. It opens up with the company and Bard on a boat traveling through the ruins of Dale. It is obvious that the dwarves do not trust him and are suspicious that Bard will betray them. Balin comes in and reminds the rest that while they don’t have to like the man, they just have to pay him. When they realize that they don’t have enough money, Thorin turns to Gloin and tells him to give more because he knows he’s holding out. Gloin starts to complain, but when the Lonely Mountain is revealed through the fog, the dwarves can do nothing but stare in awe. Gloin quickly hands over the money.

The boat approaches a trading post and Bard hurriedly asks the dwarves for his pay, but Thorin argues that he would be paid once they are ashore. Bard says something along the lines of “If you value your lives you will do as I say. There are guards ahead.” The dwarves comply and hide away in barrels. They are worried that Bard has sold them out when they see him conversing with a trader through holes in their barrels. Before the Company can make their move to escape, the barrels are all filled to the top with fish. (Good thinking, Bard!) Bard makes sure to keep the dwarves quiet as they near Lake-town.

Inside Information

The last scene takes place within Erebor in Smaug’s lair. Balin sends Bilbo down to search for the Arkenstone, telling him that he’ll know it when he sees it. Bilbo is clearly confused as to why he’s supposed to look for this particular jewel, but he doesn’t question Balin much. Seeing that Bilbo is determined to go through with it, Balin says “It never ceases to amaze me, the courage of hobbits.”

The best part about this moment was the music–the theme of the Shire softly played. It immediately made me think of the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf tells Frodo “Hobbits really are amazing creatures! You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you.”

Balin warns Bilbo about Smaug and then turns to exit, leaving Bilbo by himself. As Bilbo slowly enters Smaug’s lair, you can see all of the treasure. And there is a lot of treasure. He picks up a few jewels while searching for the Arkenstone but comes up empty. He then picks up a golden cup which causes a pile of coins to fall down and what is revealed? Smaug’s eye! Bilbo nervously and cautiously tries to walk away from the dragon, and as he turns around he sees Smaug’s tail move underneath all the coins and jewels. It’s a little humorous watching Bilbo realizing just how enormous Smaug is. All of the noises cause the dragon to awaken, and everyone in the audience was either screaming, on the edge of their seat, or staring wide-eyed at the screen. All of this footage made me much more excited to watch the next two films.

Okay, that’s it. This was my experience at The Hobbit Fan Event. I hope there will be another one for There and Back Again next year! I will most definitely be attending. Thank you Peter Jackson, Warner Bros., and the cast (and everyone else involved) for having this event!

Author: Myla Malinalda
After being dragged to see The Fellowship of the Ring back in 2001 with her dad, Myla fell head-over-hobbit-feet in love with Middle-earth. Myla would love nothing more than to be able to live peacefully in the Shire and go on the occasional adventure with Bilbo. She has a habit of becoming too attached to fictional characters and buying too many copies of the same book. Myla enjoys creating art whenever she can and collecting all things relating to Tolkien.